The Venture Bros.
| format = Action Comedy | runtime = 0:30 (per episode, including commercial break) | creator = Jackson Publick | starring = James Urbaniak Christopher McCulloch Michael Sinterniklaas Patrick Warburton Doc Hammer | country = United States | network = Cartoon Network (US) Teletoon (Canada) | first_aired = August 7, 2004 | last_aired = present | num_episodes = 13 (plus one special) | imdb_id = 0417373 }} The Venture Bros. is an animated action-comedy series airing as part of Adult Swim on Cartoon Network. It chronicles the adventures of two dopey teenage boys, their super-scientist father, and their secret-agent guardian. The show is known for its developed plots and dry sense of humor. J. G. Thirlwell of Foetus fame scores the show. The series is an homage to the style of the classic Hanna-Barbara action series Jonny Quest with which it shares many similarities. Hank and Dean's roles resemble those of Jonny and Hadji, Dr. Venture is a caricature of Dr. Benton Quest, and Brock Samson can be considered a testosterone-loaded, excessively-violent take on Race Bannon (who actually appears in the series as someone Brock knows). It has been stated by the show's creators that the show also parodies Hardy Boys mysteries and comic super heroes. Oddly enough, one episode showed that Venture Bros. takes place in the same continuity as Jonny Quest. However, despite these similarities, the show does not focus on parodying these elements and stands on its own merits and themes. Show creator Jackson Publick (a pseudonym for Christopher McCulloch) was one of the main writers for the Saturday morning animated show The Tick; and Ben Edlund, creator of The Tick, has co-written one episode of Venture Bros. (Another Tick connection: Patrick Warburton, who played the Tick in the short-lived live-action series, provides the voice of Brock Samson.) The second season of the series is tentatively scheduled to premiere on June 11, 2006. The considerable delay between the end of the first season and the start of the second was partially caused by Adult Swim's delay in deciding whether to renew the show but was mainly caused by the fact that the show is drawn and inked in the traditional animation style, causing each episode to take considerable time to move through production. Characters The Venture family The Venture family composes the central characters in the show; they live in a fortified compound in an undisclosed location somewhere in the United States. The compound doubles as the headquarters for Dr. Venture's company, Venture Industries. *'Hank Venture' (voiced by Christopher McCulloch): Teenage boy, one-half of the titular pairing. A mix between Jonny Quest and Fred of Scooby Doo fame. Tends to be more athletic than his brother. Always up for adventures and solving mysteries. Better at disguises than his brother, and can be rather naive. Prone to flights of fancy; Brock comments "it's like he (Hank) channels dead crazy people." *'Dean Venture' (voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas): Teenage boy. Timid, selfless, and more "bookish" than Hank. A combination of one of The Hardy Boys and Jonny Quest's Hadji. Always keen for adventures, but tends to flee at the first sign of bodily harm. He faints when he moves too quickly from a prone position to standing upright and has a weak stomach. He is slightly more rational than Hank but still thinks bad guys are toted away in sleeping bags, not body bags. It is hinted that he is uncircumcised. Dr. Venture comments that Dean is a bit more "effeminate" than Hank. *'Dr. Thaddeus S. "Rusty" Venture' (voiced by James Urbaniak): Father of the Venture twins. Inherited Venture Industries from his deceased father, the famous Dr. Jonas Venture. He considers himself an adventurer and "super-scientist" like his father, but he is somewhat of a failure despite some ability in the nebulously defined field of "super-science". Frequently swallows "diet pills" (most likely an illegal stimulant, possibly an amphetamine) and despises being compared to his late father. Has archenemies in the form of the Monarch and Baron Ünderbheit. It has been revealed that he never finished his studies and is not technically a doctor at all (his father died during his final year in college, but his professors apparently didn't give him any leeway as a result). Tends to dislike his sons; it is somewhat unclear whether he actually loves them. He often suffers from nightmares where he, in one way or another, murders his twin brother while still in the womb. For some reason, he also lactates during periods of extreme stress. *'Brock Samson' (voiced by Patrick Warburton): Though not related to the Ventures per se, he is the bodyguard of the Venture family and agent with the Office of Secret Intelligence. Earlier in his life he'd hoped to excel at football, but was cut from the team in college after he accidentally killed a fellow teammate during football practice. The day after he'd been cut from the football team, he may have seen that his future in civilian life was shot, so he left to voluntarily enlist in the US Army. Throughout his career, he gained an excellent (but rather unorthodox) reputation as a "Super Soldier" and later a "Super Secret Agent." He has a Level Eight (8), Class A license to kill and an amazing zeal and ability in using it. Brock adamantly refuses to use firearms, instead preferring his saw-toothed Bowie knife. He has incredible stamina, as proven when he took nearly a hundred tranquilizer darts before falling unconscious, and survived being sucked into the vacuum of space (albeit for about a minute) wearing only workout clothes. He drives a Dodge Charger, which he once used to slaughter dozens of the Monarch's henchmen. He is extremely loyal to the Venture family, actually living with them in the compound, and now seems to serve as a bit of a mentor and surrogate father for the boys, with whom he shares an avuncular relationship. The Monarch once referred to him as Dr. Venture's "Swedish Murder Machine." *'H.E.L.P.eR.' (voiced by Soul-Bot): The Venture family's personal helper robot. H.E.L.P.eR. is an acronym for Humanoid Electric Lab Partner Robot. Created by Dr. Jonas Venture to look after his son Rusty, and now assists Brock in looking after Dean and Hank. Fairly capable, but emotionally unstable and somewhat dim-witted for a robot. *'Dr. Jonas Venture' (voiced by Paul Boocock): Deceased father of Dr. Thaddeus Venture, seen in dreams, hallucinations, and flashbacks. Once one of the foremost scientists in the world. Created what is now known as Venture Industries and led the original Team Venture. His character is based on Doc Savage. *'Jonas Venture, Jr.' (voiced by James Urbaniak): Dr. Venture's deformed twin, who was absorbed by Rusty in the womb. Until the first season finale, appeared only in Dr. Venture's nightmares. Has re-awakened and been freed from Rusty's body via surgery after being mistaken for a tumor. Desperate to claim the life that was never his; he once tried to murder Dr. Venture using a giant mechanical suit he made out of household items. Has the body of a baby, though one of his arms is a handless nub and his head appears to have matured to an adult appearance that bears a striking resemblance to his father. Seems to have made peace with Dr. Venture as of the end of the first season. Villains *'The Monarch' (voiced by Christopher McCulloch): Dr. Venture's nemesis, obsessed with Monarch butterflies, which raised him as a child. Longs to bring an end to Dr. Venture in as many ways as possible. Is evasive when asked why he seeks to harm Dr. Venture; it is implied that the only reason he wants to kill Dr. Venture because he has nothing better to do. Dr. Venture, in turn, barely seems to realize the Monarch exists most of the time. A former member of the Guild of Calamitous Intent (which he only joined for the medical plan). The Monarch's base is a giant, flying cocoon. His primary weapons are his wrist mounted projectile launchers, notably shooting poison darts. Most of the darts have killed off some of his henchmen rather than his enemies, mostly by accident. Often nearly suceeds in killing Dr. Venture with bizarre plans (such as turning Venture into a giant butterfly by altering his DNA to transform him into a caterpillar), but they always end up falling apart due to unusual circumstances. *'Dr. Girlfriend' (voiced by Doc Hammer): Girlfriend and assistant to the Monarch. Previously worked for (and/or was romantically involved with) the Phantom Limb. She bears a remarkable similarity to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis; she has a comically unnatural deep voice (the character is voiced by a man), which is also a parody of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' relatively low voice for a woman and her New England accent. Formerly known as Lady Au Pair and Queen Etherea. Arguably the brains behind the Monarch's operation, although she has expressed doubts about his rivalry with Venture. Rumors that she is a transsexual have been dispelled as a red herring. Nonetheless, Master Billy Quizboy claims that she has a surgically implanted baboon's uterus. *'Monarch Henchmen' (voiced by Christopher McCulloch and others): The incompetent henchmen of the Monarch, whom he and Dr. Girlfriend have an almost parental relationship with, though the Monarch has killed several of them himself. The Monarch seems to employ an infinite number of them. They are all referred to by number (except for two named "Speedy" and "Tiny Joseph"). Often killed by Brock Samson. Most are disposable, but two have become recurring characters: Number Twenty-One, an obese pop-culture geek with a Star Wars fixation (he is somewhat of a parody of the Star Wars Kid), and his friend Number Twenty-Four, a tall, thin, dim-wit with a nasally voice. *'Baron Werner Ünderbheit' (voiced by T. Ryder Smith): Ruler of Ünderland, a militant dictatorship. Wears a prosthetic, metal jaw and speaks in a thick, pseudo-German accent. Enemy of Doctor Venture, mostly due to unresolved differences from their college days together (Venture is to blame for Ünderbheit's prosthetic jaw; as he says, "In my country, a lab-partnership is a sacred trust. One is always supposed to look out for one's lab-partner! Venture did not..."). Has a disciplined army of henchman that take pride in the fact that at the age of thirty-eight, they are executed. Associated with the Guild of Calamitous Intent. Baron Ünderbheit is a parody of Doctor Doom and has been jokingly identified as such in the context of show (e.g. The Monarch referred to him as "that dime store Dr. Doom"). His appearance, and deep, booming voice, also appear to be a parody of X-Men villain Apocalypse. *'Manservant' (voiced by Christopher McCulloch): Baron Ünderbheit's long-time personal servant. *'The Phantom Limb' (voiced by James Urbaniak): Villain with invisible arms and legs. Member of the Guild of Calamitous Intent. It is hinted that he and Dr. Girlfriend used to be a couple. Friends/allies *'Dr. Byron Orpheus' (voiced by Steven Rattazzi): An expert necromancer who rents a portion of the Venture Compound and is friends with Dr. Venture. Along with Brock, the only associate of Dr. Venture who displays any sort of competence. Has a bachelor's degree in communication and womans studies from a community college, but claims a doctorate from a "higher authority" (possibly a theological degree he purchased). Seeks an archenemy of his own, and has apparently applied several times for one with the Guild of Calamitous Intent. Dresses much like Doctor Strange with a face and voice similar to that of Vincent Price. His speech is filled with overly dramatic phrases and delivered in a grandiosely theatrical voice with extreme emphasis on mundane topics, many times over a background of ominous trumpet-laden music. *'Triana Orpheus' (voiced by Lisa Hammer): Dr. Orpheus' Goth-punk daughter. Has hair dyed purple, and is fairly friendly with the Venture Boys. Possibly the most down-to-earth character on the show, despite her father's tendency to dramatize. Dean Venture has a crush on her, and she at least tolerates him. *'Pete White' (voiced by Chris McCulloch): A computer scientist and, more notably, an albino Caucasian. Co-founder of Conjectural Technologies. He has been accused of being a homosexual by Quizboy, with whom he shares a quasi-homosexual relationship. Went to college with Venture and Ünderbheit where he hosted a new wave radio show called "The White Room." *'Master Billy Quizboy' (voiced by Doc Hammer): A self-proclaimed "boy genius," though he's actually an adult with a speech impediment and growth hormone deficiency. He is a neurogeneticist and co-founder of Conjectural Technologies. Suffers from hydrocephalus, which is the reason his mother refers to him as her "little water baby." Shares a bizarre quasi-homosexual relationship with Pete White, although the two are apparently not lovers. *'The Action Man' Rodney (voiced by Chris McCulloch): Retired member of the original Team Venture. An all-American supersoldier that can be best described as a kind of B-grade Captain America. He primarily fights with handguns and sometimes his fists. He has constant bowel movements, which never seem to sway him. Married Major Tom's widow after Tom's tragic accident. *'Col. Horace Gentleman' (voiced by Chris McCulloch): Retired member of the original Team Venture. British ex-spy. he is extremely perceptive and is, indeed, a total gentleman. Walks around with a cane and has a voice similar to Sean Connery. *'Kano' (unvoiced): Retired member of the original Team Venture. Master of the martial arts and an accomplished pilot. Communicates by way of origami. In his prime, his hands were "powerful enough to crush a boulder," yet "delicate enough to crush a butterfly." *'Otto Aquarius' (voiced by T. Ryder Smith): Retired member of the original Team Venture. Exiled son of Atlantis, he is half-human and half-Atlantean which provides him with a greatly extended life-span. Most recently, he has converted to the Jehovah's Witnesses. The only pacifist in the original Team Venture. *'Col. Bud Manstrong' (voiced by Terrence Fleming): Colonel on the orbiting space station, Gargantua-1. *'Lt. Anna Baldavitch' (voiced by Nina Hellman): Lieutenant under Col. Manstrong on Gargantua-1. Her face is never shown, and it is implied that she is catastrophically ugly, in stark contrast to her shapely body. She is also in a relationship with Bud Manstrong, but that is put to an end once the Venture team visits the space station and Brock has sex with her, with her helmet on, of course. *'Race Bannon' (voiced by Chris McCulloch): Agent in the Office of Secret Intelligence. Seemingly killed recovering the Goliath Serum from Nat King Cobra's Snake-Men. Implied that he is the same Race Bannon from Jonny Quest, as his dying words to Brock Samson are "Tell Jonny I love..." He and Brock Samson go way back. Others *'Molotov Cocktease' (voiced by Mia Barron): Brock Samson's love interest, despite the fact that she killed his partner and he killed her father and took out her left eye. An ex-Soviet agent, she now makes her living as a mercenary. She's also a knife lover, like Brock. Their meetings often begin with violence and end with tenderness. Unfortunately for Brock Samson, she wears a chastity belt. Her name is a sexual pun on "Molotov cocktail" She appears to be a parody of Marvel anti-hero Black Widow. *'Professor Richard Impossible' (voiced by Stephen Colbert): Former professor to Dr. Venture, Mr. White, and Billy Quizboy and founder of Impossible Industries, a major government contractor. Impossible and his cohorts are a parody of the Fantastic Four: an experiment with cosmic radiation gave them each strange abilities. Richard can stretch his body like rubber, similar to Mister Fantastic. The other members of his family have useless parodies of the other members' powers. His wife Sally can turn her skin invisible (but only her skin, which is somewhat less than the abilities of the Invisible Woman). Sally's brother Cody bursts into flames when exposed to oxygen (unlike the Human Torch, he cannot control this very painful reaction, so he is kept in an air-tight container). Their mentally handicapped cousin Ned has a purple, "non-rocky" appearance. Unlike The Thing, he has no enhanced abilities or powers; his appearance is simply that of a "giant (and painful) callous." *'Roy Brisby' (voiced by Chris McCulloch): Manager/CEO of the "Brisbyland" theme park and associated entertainment empire. Crippled in an accident that occurred during the construction of Brisbyland and now confined to a wheelchair. Wishes for Dr. Venture to clone him a new body. Parody of Walt Disney. *'Mandelay' (voiced by Charles Stewart Parnell): Roy Brisby's large bodyguard. Mandelay is named for his theme music, "Mandelay," from Foetus' Flow. *'Major Tom' (voiced by James Urbaniak): A test pilot for the late Dr. Jonas Venture. Died when the experimental plane he was flying crashed in the Bermuda Triangle. The character's name (and much of his dialogue) comes from the title track of David Bowie's 1969 album ''Space Oddity as well as his 1980 single, "Ashes to Ashes." *'Steve Summers' (voiced by Chris McCulloch): A former astronaut. After a near-fatal accident, he underwent a six-million-dollar procedure to turn him into a bionic man. Currently fleeing the military, who expected him to work off the six million dollars spent reconstructing his body. A parody of Steve Austin of The Six Million Dollar Man, the last name of "Summers" being taken from Jaime Sommers, the lead character of Six Million Dollar Man spin-off The Bionic Woman. *'Sasquatch' (voiced by Chris McCulloch): Also known as Bigfoot. Steve Summers' life partner who gave him a new hope to abandon his government work. *'Tiny Attorney' (voiced by Chris McCulloch): A southern gentlemen prosecutor during the Monarch's trial and #3 on the Guild of Calamitous Intent's Most Wanted List. Actually a little person growing from the body of "an inbred simpleton". Abducted during the trial by the Guild's Strangers, led by the Phantom Limb. A spoof of Kuato from the movie Total Recall. See also [[List of The Venture Bros. episodes|List of The Venture Bros. episodes]] Home releases The first season of The Venture Bros. on DVD is currently scheduled for May 30, 2006, as officially announced by Warner Home Video http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=5026. It will coincide with the June premiere of Season 2. Originally, it was scheduled for March 14, 2006, but was delayed until "sometime in May", according to Jackson Publick's LiveJournal. DVD info: (updated info as of 2/11/06) http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=5104 Disc 1 Episodes: *"Dia de Los Dangerous!" *"Careers In Science" *"Mid-Life Chrysalis" *"Eeney, Meeney, Miney...Magic!" *"The Incredible Mr. Brisby" *"Tag Sale - You're It!" *"Home Insecurity" *"Ghosts of the Sargasso" Disc 2 Episodes: *"Ice Station - Impossible!" *"Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean" *"Return to Spider-Skull Island" *"Past Tense" *"The Trial of The Monarch" Bonus Features: *Includes the 2003 pilot "The Terrible Secret of Turtle Bay" and the 11-minute holiday episode "A Very Venture Christmas" *Deleted Scenes *Behind-the-scenes mockumentary with cast and crew *Commentary Tracks on: **"Eeney, Meeney, Miney...Magic!" **"Tag Sale - You're It!" **"Ghosts Of The Sargassso" **"Return To Spider-Skull Island" **"The Terrible Secret of Turtle Bay" External links * The Official Venture Brothers Website * Jackson Publick's Venture Bros. Livejournal * James Urbaniak's Livejournal (James Urbaniak - the voice of Dr. Thaddeus S. "Rusty" Venture) * Adult Swim - Venture Bros. Website * Scrotal Safety Commission (A satirical site on testicular torsion created by Doc Hammer for the episode "Are You There God, It's Me, Dean") * The People's Republic of Venture (A fan site made by VB fans for VB fans and has been mentioned on James Urbaniak's livejournal as his favorite Venture Bros. fan site/forums) * The TV IV: Venture Bros. Episode Guide Venture Bros., The Venture Bros., The Venture Bros., The